Work Visa

Status of residence “Designated Activities (Job Hunting)”

2024.05.14

We will briefly explain what a Designated Activities Visa is, different types and durations of the Designated Activities Visa, how to obtain (apply for) the visa, and the documents required for application, as well as other frequently asked questions.

table of contents

For these customers
What is the “Designated Activities” status of residence?
- Eligibility for application for “Designated Activities (Job Hunting)” status of residence
Application for “Designated Activities (Job Hunting)” status of residence
- Necessary documents for “Change” of “Designated Activities” visa
- Necessary Documents for “Renewal” of “Designated Activities” Visa
Frequently asked questions about “specified activity (employment activity)” visas

For these customers

If any of the following apply to you, please read this explanation.

☑ I have graduated from school but would like to continue my job search

☑ I have a better job offer but don’t want to compromise with my current job offer

☑ Will it be difficult to apply for a visa to find a job if I have only attended Japanese language school in Japan?

☑ I don’t know what I need to do to apply for a visa to continue my job search

　After graduating from school, you will naturally be unregistered from the institution (school) to which you belong.

Even if your term of stay as the status of “International Student” while you were in school remains, you are not permitted to stay in Japan for further.

If you were not able to find a job while in school and wish to continue “job hunting” in Japan after graduation, you will need to apply for a change of status of residence to “Designated Activities”.

In this article, we will briefly explain the application requirements and points to note for the status of residence “Designated Activities” (Job Hunting).

What is the “Designated Activities” status of residence?

Unlike “Student Visa,” “Working Visa,” and “Spouse Visa”; the “Designated Activities” status does not clearly specify activities, making it a somewhat confusing visa status.

In fact, there are many cases where this status of residence has been obtained for reasons in addition to job hunting for previously graduated foreign students.

Unlike other statuses of residence, the status of residence “Designated Activities” is defined as “a status of residence that permits a foreign national to engage in activities specially designated by the Minister of Justice for individual foreign nationals.

Simply put, it is “a status of residence established to engage in activities that do not fall under any of the other statuses of residence.”

Activities Covered:

For example, domestic servants working for diplomats etc., working holiday, candidates for foreign nurses and care workers under economic partnership agreements, amateur athletes, interns, domestic servants, long-term visitors for the purpose of sightseeing and recuperation, working spouses of highly specialized foreign nationals, fourth-generation Japanese descendants, Japanese university graduates and their spouses, etc.

If you wish to stay in Japan for job hunting after graduating from a university, etc., you will also be classified as a “Designated Activities” visa holder.

The period of stay for which the status of residence “Designated Activities” can be granted:

The maximum period of stay allowed for the “specified activities” status of residence also differs depending on the type of activity.

Normally, it can be five years, three years, one year, six months, three months, or such other period (not to exceed five years) as the Minister of Justice may individually designate.

For job hunting activities, if the application for change is approved, a six-month period of stay will be granted.

If certain conditions are met, the program can be renewed for an additional six-month period, for a total of up to one year to continue job hunting.

Eligibility for application for “Designated Activities (Job Hunting)” status of residence

Those eligible to apply for the status of residence “Specially Designated Activities (Job Hunting)” are those who fall under one of the following categories.

(1) I want to continue my job search after graduating from college.

1. Foreigners who entered Japan with the status of residence of “Student” and graduated from a university (including junior college and graduate school) under the School Education Law in Japan (Bekka students, auditors, non-degree students, and research students are not eligible).
2. Those who have been seeking employment since before graduation (important) and wish to stay in Japan for the purpose of continuing their job search.

*The same applies to foreigners who have graduated from a technical college.

*All requirements must be met.

(2) I want to continue my job search after graduating from a vocational school.

1. Foreigners who entered Japan with the status of residence of “Student” and graduated from a special training college under the School Education Law with the title of “Diploma”.
2. Those who have been seeking employment since before graduation (important) and wish to stay in Japan for the purpose of continuing to seek employment.
3. Those whose technical training courses are recognized as being related to activities that fall under one of the statuses of residence related to employment, such as “Engineer/Humanities/International Services”.

*All requirements must be met.

(3) Graduates of Japanese language institutes and wish to continue job hunting

Foreigners who have graduated or completed a university or graduate school abroad
Enter Japan with the status of residence of “Student” and graduate from a Japanese language education institution in Japan that meets certain requirements
If you have been looking for a job before graduation (important) and wish to stay in Japan for the purpose of continuing to look for a job.

*All requirements must be met.

Application for “Designated Activities (Job Hunting)” status of residence

This section provides a brief explanation of the application process, required documents for application, and standard review period when applying for the status of residence “Designated Activities (Job Hunting)”.

Necessary documents for “Change” of “Designated Activities” visa

The following is a guide to the basic required documents for a change of “specified activities” (application for issuance of a certificate of eligibility). The required documents listed below are just the basic ones, and further attachments may be necessary depending on the applicant’s situation and other factors.

It often requires specialized knowledge and experience to prepare the necessary documents for the applicant’s situation. Rather than spending a lot of time and effort and receiving unwanted results, it is safer to consult with a specialist (please feel free to use our “free consultation” service).

	Continuing Job Search for University Students	Continuing Job Search for Vocational School Students	Continuing Job Search for International Students at Japanese Language Institutions (Overseas college graduates only)
(1) Application for permission for change of status of residence	○	○	○
(2) Photograph (4 cm x 3 cm)	○	○	○
(3) Passport and resident card (present)	○	○	○
(4) Document certifying the applicant’s ability to pay all expenses during the applicant’s stay in Japan.	○	○	○
(5) Diploma (copy) or certificate of graduation from the university you previously enrolled in	○	✖	✖
(6) A Letter of recommendation for continued employment by the university you were previously enrolled in *1	○	✖	✖
(7) Documents that clarify that you are engaged in continuous job search *2	○	✖	✖
(8) A certificate of having a Diploma issued by the vocational college you previously enrolled in	✖	○	✖
(9) A Diploma (copy) or a graduation certificate and transcripts from the professional training college attended until immediately before the date of application.	✖	○	✖
(10) A Letter of recommendation for continued employment activities by the professional training college you were enrolled in immediately prior to the application *1	✖	○	✖
(11) Documents clarifying that the applicant is engaged in continuous job search *2	✖	○	✖
(12) Documents that clarify the details of the content acquired in the specialized courses.	✖	○	✖
(13) Copy of diploma (or certificate of completion) or certificate of graduation (or certificate of completion) from the Japanese language institution where you previously enrolled in	✖	✖	○
(14) Certificate of attendance issued by the Japanese language institution where you previously enrolled in	✖	✖	○
(15) Document certifying that you have graduated from (or completed courses in) an overseas university or graduate school with a bachelor’s degree or higher (diploma (copy) or certificate of graduation (or completion) from an overseas university or graduate school)	✖	✖	○
(16) A Letter of recommendation for continued job search by the Japanese language institution you previously enrolled in	✖	✖	○
(17) Documents that clarify that you are continuously engaged in job search *2	✖	✖	○
(18) A letter of confirmation that you were meeting regularly with the Japanese language institution you previously enrolled in and that you will receive information regarding your job search.	✖	✖	○
(19) Documents that confirm that the Japanese language institution you previously enrolled in meets certain requirements *3	✖	✖	○

*1 The Letter of recommendation is a necessary document. You cannot apply for a change to a designated activities without the cooperation of the school.

In addition, please use the form specified by the Immigration Bureau for the letter of recommendation.

*2 Please collect as much information as possible, such as records of failed interviews and e-mails from the selected company’s personnel, etc. If you are a graduate student, etc., and were unable to find a job while in school because you were concentrating on your research activities, etc., please consult with us once.

*3 If you are a graduate of a Japanese language school and wish to change your visa status to “Designated Activities Visa”, the school from which you graduate must be accredited by the Minister of Justice as an appropriate school.

You can also download the “Application for Permission to Change Status of Residence” and other documents from the website of the Immigration Bureau (Immigration Service Agency).

Necessary Documents for “Renewal” of “Designated Activities” Visa

The following is a guide to the basic required documents for renewal of “specified activities” (application for permission to extend the period of stay). The required documents listed below are the basic ones, and further attachments may be necessary depending on the applicant’s situation and other factors.

	Continuing Job Search for University Students	Continuing Job Search for Vocational School Students	Continuing Job Search for International Students at Japanese Language Institutions (Overseas college graduates only)
(1) Application for permission for change of status of residence	○	○	○
(2) Photograph (4cm x 3cm)	○	○	○
(3) Passport and resident card (to be presented)	○	○	○
(4) Document certifying the applicant’s ability to pay all expenses during the applicant’s stay in Japan.	○	○	○
(5) A Letter of recommendation for continued employment by the university you previously enrolled in *1	○	✖	✖
(6) Documents that clarify that the applicant is engaged in continuous job search *2	○	✖	✖
(7) A Letter of recommendation for continued job search by the professional training college you were enrolled in immediately prior to the application *1	✖	○	✖
(8) Documents clarifying that the applicant is engaged in continuous job search *2	✖	○	✖
(9) Documents that clarify the details of the content acquired in the technical training course.	✖	○	✖
(10) A Letter of recommendation for continued employment by the Japanese language education institution you were enrolled in immediately prior to the date of application *1	✖	✖	○
(11) Documents clarifying that the applicant is engaged in continuous job search *2	✖	✖	○
(12) A letter of confirmation that you have been meet regularly with the Japanese language institution you previously enrolled in and receive information for job hunting	✖	✖	○
(13) Document that can confirm that the Japanese language institution you previously enrolled in meets certain requirements *3	✖	✖	○

*1 The letter of recommendation is a necessary document. You cannot apply for a change to a designated activities without the cooperation of the school.

In addition, please use the form specified by the Immigration Bureau for the letter of recommendation.

*3 If you are a graduate of a Japanese language school and wish to change your visa status to “Designated Activities Visa”, the school from which you graduate must be accredited as an appropriate school.

You can also download the “Application for Permission to Change Status of Residence” and other documents from the website of the Immigration Bureau (Immigration and Naturalization Service).

Frequently asked questions about “specified activity (employment activity)” visas

Q. I came to Japan after graduating from a university overseas and am now preparing to graduate from a Japanese language school. I was looking for a job while I was still in school, but I couldn’t find a job… In this case, can I get a special activity visa?

A. It is possible under the right conditions.

The “Designated Activities Visa” for continuous job hunting after graduation was previously only available to graduates of universities, junior colleges, and vocational schools, but due to a revision of the system, Japanese language school graduates (overseas university graduates only) are now also eligible for this visa. However, this revise requires the school be recognized by the Minister of Justice, and various cooperation from the school will be needed, so please feel free to consult us.

Q. I originally planned to return to my home country after graduating from university, so I did not conduct any job hunting. Suddenly my plans changed, and I would like to find a job and live in Japan. In this case, is it possible to apply for a Designated Activities Visa?

A. Unfortunately, the probability of disapproval is quite high in this case.

If a graduate student (including those in the second semester of a course) is unable to engage in employment activities due to devoting himself/herself to research activities during the course of study, there are cases in which the visa may be changed to a special activity visa without engaging in employment activities as a special exception, but the possibility of approval is quite low in cases like the above question barring exceptional circumstances. Please consult with your local immigration office.

Related Blogs

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Editor of this article

Ryota Yanagimoto: Administrative Scrivener/Judicial Scrivener

Administrative scrivener corporation Yanagi group representative employee.
At the age of 24, he passed the national examinations for judicial scrivener, administrative scrivener, and wage service manager at the same time.
While working as a full-time lecturer at a major prep school, he independently opened a legal office related to judicial scriveners and administrative scriveners,
and he has experience as a judicial scrivener and an administrative scrivener for more than 15 years so far.

He has been actively contributing to various industries such as publicly listed companies, real estate companies, financial institutions, elderly care services, and professional organizations by conducting seminars, lectures, and talks.
And now he has a record of over 60 presentations so far.

Furthermore, as the president of a Japanese language school announced by the Ministry of Justice and Acts, and an advisor to a real estate company (capable of handling foreign clients),
he has been involved in various aspects of industries related to foreigners.

It is recommended to consult with experts when it comes to visas, naturalization, and residency matters.

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